New York City has the South Street Seaport. Los Angeles has the Santa Monica Pier. San Francisco has Fisherman's Wharf. Now we can add Washington, D.C.'s The Wharf to the list.

The Wharf is a $2.5 billion 3.2 million square-foot redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront, once a bustling commercial district that has languished since at least the 1960s.

The development, which broke ground in 2014, is intended to change that. Filled with shops, restaurants, hotels, and apartment buildings, the development hopes to create a hip neighborhood just 20 minutes walking-distance from the National Mall.

We took a walk through the new development on a recent trip to Washington, D.C. to see what all the fuss is about.

Here's what one of the studio apartments looks like. While studios in the building run for around $2000/month, the Channel has more than 100 affordable units available.

The Wharf is a 10-minute walk from the L'Enfant Plaza Metrorail station, but there is a free shuttle to take people there and back. For more active residents, there are Capital Bikeshare stations and bicycle lanes that connect to the 28-mile Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.

The Wharf has been in development since real estate developer Monty Hoffman and his firm PN Hoffman won redevelopment rights in 2006. The project took a long time to get off the ground.

The project has gone through more than a dozen agencies for approval and even required Congress to pass three laws. Hoffman reportedly poured a fortune of his own money to keep the project going until he worked out a partnership with real estate investor Madison Marquette.

A big draw of the restaurant is the 40-seat patio out back. There are built-in heat lamps and a number of fire pits so people can dine outside year-round.

Then there's the question asked of any neighborhood: Where can I get a drink? The Brighton, run by DC nightlife veterans Eric and Ian Hilton, is hoping to be the answer. The indoor/outdoor bar is right on the water and is looking to be the neighborhood's everyday British-style pub.

Here's another look at The Channel. The other apartment buildings in the Wharf are luxury-minded VIO, Icanto (which is located above Pearl Street, the main entertainment thoroughfare), and 525 Water.

At the end of the promenade is the oldest part of The Wharf, the Maine Avenue Fish Market. Opened in 1807, the market is the oldest open-air fish market in the US. The development will retain the historic market and many of its existing tenants.

One of the biggest tenants, Sunny White, may not be one of them. He has been embroiled in a lawsuit against the developers. White says the developers are trying to force out his business, while the developers say White doesn't have the proper permits and owes rent.

Bonus: If you purchase something at the Fish Market you get validation that drops the cost of your parking to $2. That's worth the walk over (and the crab cake).

There are four piers at the Wharf. The 400-foot District Pier is the largest and is expected to be used for festivals and outdoor concerts, as was the case on The Wharf's opening weekend last month. On Friday, there will be a Christmas Tree lighting.

The developers opted to use a number of different architects for the buildings at the Wharf to avoid a monolithic cityscape.

The Wharf also has three hotels, including a Canopy by Hilton, Hyatt House, and luxury hotel The Intercontinental.

The Intercontinental runs the no-frills waterside bar, The Watering Hole. It looked like a nice place to watch the sunset, but it was all closed up. No word if they're planning on keeping it open through the winter.

The Wharf advertising slogans including "Where DC Meets to Savor" and "Where DC Meets Its Water" were everywhere. And very corny.

The developers have tried to think of every desire for the modern urbanite. The Yoga Factory offers numerous types of yoga classes each day. Next door, Anchor has got everything boaters in the marina could need for their skiff (or yacht).

The Wharf's main entertainment thoroughfare is Pearl Street. The street is named after the ship that a group of slaves tried to sail down the Potomac in 1848 to escape to freedom.

On the street is Pearl Street Warehouse, another one of the area's concert venues. The Warehouse will focus on music styles like rock, country, blues, folk, soul, and bluegrass in a more intimate setting. It also serves diner-style food.